Runaway rhea caught on camera in Britain

BRENT PELHAM, England, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- The owner of a runaway rhea dubbed "very fast" by police who were unable to keep up is pleading for the public not to shoot at the flightless bird.

The rhea, native to South America, was one of three to escape from Graham Fleming's Maces Farm in Rickling Green, England, and was caught on camera recently by Hertfordshire police and a resident.

Fleming said his three rheas escaped last February and only one has been recaptured. He said he hopes the birds will be "left to live their life and not hounded and shot" like a rhea that escaped from another farm in March of last year.

The rhea was spotted Sunday in Hertfordshire and managed to evade police, who tweeted the animal was tough to track.

"PC Watson & PCSO Steve have located the rhea, the problem is they can't keep up with it. They've some video footage to share, it's very fast," police tweeted.

Police released blurry footage of the rhea evading capture.

A clearer video was taken by Jane Garner, who spotted the bird in the yard of fellow Brent Pelham resident Mandy Robinson.